The enshrinement of the right to abortion in the French Constitution has been a historic demand of feminist organizations since I can remember. But for the past decade, this demand has had little resonance with the French population. Many felt that the Constitution would not have to be invoked to defend this right. I would even go so far as to say that many thought that this right was not at risk. But then, two years ago, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade and everything changed. Millions of people suddenly realized that, unfortunately, the right to abortion can be won and then lost. It's an ongoing battle. On 28 February, France’s Parliament will make its final decision on whether or not to pass the constitutional abortion bill. To succeed, we need the support of the international community.   The COVID crisis and the need to expand access to abortion To understand the impact of the US Supreme Court's decision on France, it is necessary to look at the context of abortion rights advocacy in our country. During the COVID crisis, the Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial - commonly known as 'Le Planning Familial' - joined forces with feminist associations, health professionals and Members of Parliament to ensure access to abortion care during lockdown. Our mobilization triggered an increase in media coverage of the issue: women of all ages began to share their own abortion stories. Thanks to their courage, we managed to bring to light the existing obstacles to access abortion in France. We focused our advocacy on one main barrier: the legal time limit - 12 weeks of pregnancy - to access abortion. We knew that some women would not be able to get an abortion within this time because of the lockdown.  Pregnant women reached out to us by calling our national hotline and our local centers as they were unable to leave their homes because of domestic violence, as well as minors. We knew that, by the time the lockdown was over, they would have exceeded the abortion time limits and would be forced to continue through pregnancies against their will. Over the months, our advocacy campaign evolved into a demand for a legal change to permanently extend the time limit for accessing abortion care in France. It was a long political battle. We celebrated a great victory on 2 March 2022: abortion time limits were extended by two weeks. It was at this point that we saw a significant increase in support: French people who had previously been silent on the issue of abortion began to speak out.  Meanwhile, the anti-choice and anti-rights groups intensified its attacks against us. In the space of a few months, they broke down the doors, the windows and the locks of many of our local centers. Online and in-person threats were sent to our members across France.

As we ease into 2024, abortion continues to hit the headlines. Especially since so much global news is focused on what is happening in the US, where politicians continue to block access to basic reproductive rights. Though we may hear less about restriction of safe abortion in other countries, tens of thousands of women are still dying unnecessarily because of politics. Afterall, we already have the technical knowledge and resources to perform abortions safely. As the World Health Organisation points out, abortion is a simple healthcare intervention, and deaths from unsafe abortions are preventable.  But due to prohibitive laws and policies, entrenched stigma, and crumbling health care systems, not everyone can access safe care when they need it. SAAF is the only global funder solely dedicated to abortion. Hosted by IPPF since our founding in 2006, the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) has provided $69 million USD to global organisations seeking to tackle the unnecessary deaths and harm caused by a lack of access to safe abortion. We are currently providing support to over 80 organisations in low- and middle-income countries around the world. We wish we didn’t need to exist, that every country would provide its citizens with access to safe, legal abortion care (and contraception) when they need it. Unfortunately, the need for funding to support safe abortion care and advocacy is just as relevant as when we were founded.  Our first call for funding in 2007 received 222 applications, our most recent in 2022 attracted 1191 applications, from 90 different countries.

The recent inauguration of the ultra-right-wing Argentinian President Javier Milei is a stark reminder of the fragility of our rights to our own bodies.  Within a week of taking office, the self-described libertarian, who is openly anti-abortion and sexist, slashed the number of government ministries in half and delivered on his promise to eliminate the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity in the name of austerity. Although Milei's definitive plan for the newly formed and arbitrarily named ‘Ministry of Human Capital’ is not yet known, his famous phrase "there is no money" is a clear signal that sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice will not be on the agenda. Milei has said so himself: he has vowed to hold a plebiscite on whether to repeal the country’s 2020 landmark legislation of abortion, has attacked the 2006 law which recognizes’ students’ right to comprehensive sexuality education, routinely portrays LGBTIQ+ people as a menace to Argentinian society and denies the existence of the gender gap.  But the need for a robust and well-funded public health service in Argentina, one that provides integrated sexual and reproductive healthcare services, is of vital public interest. 

The below is a joint press release between Amnesty International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, MSI Reproductive Choices, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), International Confederation of Midwives and Ipas. People who are defending the right to abortion and providing essential services are being stigmatized, intimidated, attacked and subjected to unjust prosecutions, making their work increasingly difficult and dangerous to carry out, said Amnesty International in a new report out today. The report, An Unstoppable Movement: A global call to recognize and protect those who defend the right to safe abortions, reveals how many healthcare workers, activists, advocates and accompaniers around the world face abuse, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for supporting the right of women, girls and people to access abortions. Such an environment is prevalent including in countries where abortion is partially allowed by law. It is having a chilling, silencing and stigmatizing effect on all those defending access to abortion, as they live in constant fear of being attacked and prosecuted for providing abortion care, whether it is legal or not. It is also creating major barriers for women, girls and people who need abortion care – particularly those who are most marginalised. “The right to abortion is not an opinion. It is a matter of international standards and international legal norms. It is a right underpinned by many human rights, including the rights to physical and mental integrity, the right to health and the right not to be unlawfully and arbitrarily killed through the withdrawal of safe services. It is essential for the dignity of all women and girls, and of everyone who can become pregnant. Those who defend and enable exercise of that right deserve our respect and protection. Yet, many States around the world persist with policies of over-regulation and criminalization that generate hostile, even perilous environments for those who defend the right to abortion,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Anti-abortion rhetoric, policies and laws stamp a target on the backs of health workers and advocates. Stigmatized, abused, discriminated against, criminalized, imprisoned, even killed - the rights of those who defend the right to abortion are under attack. But their human rights to work without fear, to provide essential services without threat, to exercise their professional skills without discrimination, must be respected and protected.” Isolated and unsupported While progressive abortion law reform continues, anti-abortion regressions impede access with the promotion of disinformation and toxic narratives - smear campaigns that hijack public discourse and agitate against the right to abortion and against those who defend it. “For many sexual and reproductive health providers this harassment and abuse has come to feel like just part of the job, but we cannot allow this to become the new normal,” said Sarah Shaw, MSI Reproductive Choices’ Head of Advocacy. “Enough is enough. It’s time to recognise abortion providers as human rights defenders and stand up for those who put their lives on the line to make choice possible.” Throughout the report, based on more than 40 interviews with abortion rights defenders from all over the world and with the support of global healthcare and grassroots organizations, people defending the right to abortion, particularly healthcare workers, explained how they often feel isolated and unsupported. Their work is not recognised, and they are left fearing the threat of criminalization, harassment, stigmatization, verbal threats and violence, as well as ostracization and burnout in the workplace. Some health workers have seen their personal details leaked online, while others are unsure whether they’ll make it home safely. For example: Venezuelan teacher and human rights defender Vannesa Rosales was criminalized for helping a woman and her 13-year-old daughter get access to abortion. In Poland, Justyna Wydrzyńska, a member of Abortion Without Borders and the Abortion Dream Team, was convicted for helping a woman access abortion pills earlier this year - a safe way of terminating a pregnancy. In Ghana, an advocate for sexual and reproductive rights said service providers have experienced physical violence and public shaming by members of the public, for educating people about contraception. “Violence against frontline sexual and reproductive health care providers is something that continues to happen unabated; it's about time the voices, experiences and concerns of our frontline defenders are heard,” said Alvaro Bermejo, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Director General. “As anti-abortion authorities around the world continue to deploy stigma, fear and hate-speech against those seeking and those providing services, we, as institutional champions of sexual and reproductive health and rights, commit to matching the courage of our frontline defenders.”

Restrictions to safe, legal abortion care are in place all over the world. A handful of countries ban the procedure in every circumstance, but nearly all place limits on who can have an abortion and when. Abortion is often criminalised, and nearly always stigmatised. Despite all this, abortions still happen.   In fact, abortion rates in countries where abortion is heavily restricted are similar to those where it is mostly legal. Every year, millions of people are able to circumnavigate oppressive legal systems and practical obstacles to end their pregnancies by choice. They are able to do this because of abortion rights activists.  Activists are succeeding in changing laws, as well as hearts and minds News headlines are often dominated with stories about the devastating impact of abortion bans in the US. But the global picture is more positive.   According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, more than 60 countries have liberalised their abortion laws in the past 30 years. Only four (including the US) have regressed. 

In recent years, digital technologies have transformed the landscape of healthcare, including the provision of quality abortion care. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many clinics and hospitals around the world to close or reduce services, digital health became an essential part of abortion care. Even as clinics resumed pre-pandemic operations, digital abortion care has remained critical for supporting self-managed medical abortion and reaching women in countries with restrictive laws, those living in remote areas, or those seeking discreet and convenient care. However, digital pathways are just one part of a larger ecosystem of abortion care.   To ensure a seamless continuum of person-centered care, the integration of digital abortion care with analog pathways is essential. Analog pathways refer to the traditional client journeys that do not involve digital components.  The Need for Integrated Care Pathways  When digital pathways are disconnected from analog pathways, women and other people seeking abortion care may encounter unnecessary delays or struggle to access the care they need. For instance, a woman consulting a digital provider for information on self-managing a medical abortion may face difficulties obtaining the necessary medication or post-abortion care without access to local health services. To ensure that women can access quality care at every stage of their abortion journey, it is crucial to establish linkages between digital providers and physical access points.  The Success of the WFD-IPPF Partnership  The referral partnership between safe2choose.org (a Women First Digital platform) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has successfully linked digital and in-person pathways to abortion care. The referral process is straightforward. Women seeking abortion care can access safe2choose's digital platform to receive counselling and information on medical and surgical abortion options. If the woman prefers in-person care or needs further medical attention, the safe2choose team of trained counsellors will refer her to the nearest provider. This referral process ensures that women can choose a hybrid model, receiving continuous care and support from trained healthcare providers throughout their abortion journey.  Since its inception in 2021, the safe2choose partnership with IPPF has registered 300 providers from IPPF Member Associations in seven countries in Africa and Asia. In the first two years, safe2choose referred over 3,600 clients to IPPF facilities, where they received quality abortion care. This collaboration has significantly enhanced the abortion care ecosystem, ensuring comprehensive and uninterrupted care for women. Clients connected to local providers through the digital safe2choose services consistently report positive experiences. They appreciate the easy accessibility and proximity of the local providers, as well as the clear and comprehensive information provided. These testimonials highlight the effectiveness and quality of the referrals, building trust and confidence in local IPPF providers.   Moving Towards a Seamless Continuum of Care  The IPPF and safe2choose referral partnership continues to expand, encompassing providers from more countries and extending the availability of a hybrid model of abortion care to more women worldwide. IPPF Member Association clinics and providers can sign up to the safe2choose referral database through an online registration form. By forging collaborative links between digital and in-person providers, we can move towards a comprehensive abortion care system that fully addresses the needs of women. The success of the safe2choose-IPPF partnership highlights the importance of collaboration between digital and in-clinic providers to create a world where all women have access to quality abortion care.  Discover additional information about the safe2choose referral process here.   

The recent approval of Japan's first oral abortion pill is an important step towards achieving gender equality and ensuring that women exercise their right to self-determination over their bodies, including pregnancy and childbirth. IPPF believes that true gender equality requires empowering women to be fully informed and in control of their bodies, thereby expanding their choices and enabling them to determine their own futures. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), underlined the importance of this landmark milestone during a visit to Japan in April. Public support through public comments for the approval shows that the social situation in Japan is changing, with increased awareness of women's lives and health, reproductive freedom and women's rights. In its guidelines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) included oral abortion pills in the Essential Medicines Core List, in line with the evidence accumulated in the past, and removed the requirement of direct supervision by health professionals for their use as these pills can be used outside healthcare facilities without compromising safety and efficacy and the abortion process can be managed using the drug without direct supervision of health professionals. IPPF urges Japan to follow these WHO guidelines, including abortion as part of women's health care, and allow women to take safe oral abortion pills at home. Guaranteeing women in its own country access to these essential medicines is also in line with Japan's strong commitment and global pledge to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring that all women have access to medicines that save their health and lives, and that no one is left behind. IPPF looks forward to, and is committed to working with and supporting, Japan's future steps towards achieving a society that supports true gender equality, where women can exercise their right to self-determination over reproduction.

Around the world, ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ present themselves as neutral health facilities, while masking their anti-abortion and religious agendas for people seeking information about abortion.  Often funded by extreme anti-abortion groups in the United States and elsewhere, crisis pregnancy centers aim to stop people from choosing to have an abortion. They often register themselves as Christian charities, as opposed to medical providers, meaning they can’t be regulated by government health ministries. By discouraging, denying and actively preventing access to abortion, these centers are placing women and others who can get pregnant in direct harm and putting their lives at risk.  Here are some ways to detect abortion dis- and misinformation, with tips on where to go for accurate, reliable information and compassionate care. Crisis pregnancy centers use paid ads to appear alongside regulated abortion care providers When searching for abortion care online, be aware of any disclaimers associated with search results. Google has now added disclaimers to ads where it will clearly state if the clinic provides abortion care or not. If you’re still unsure if they provide abortion care, here are a few steps you can do before you decide to visit: Contact the clinic in advance, asking specifically if they provide abortion care services and details about the procedure. If they refuse or are unable to confirm that they provide abortion services, and if they cannot answer questions related to the procedure, it is safe to assume they do not provide safe abortion care. Visit their website. If they don’t mention abortion services or provide any details related to the procedure, it’s probably because they don’t provide abortions.  Reading reviews on Google and on their social media related to their abortion care services can also help you make a more informed decision. These small digital due diligence steps could help you avoid crisis pregnancy centers. If you or someone you know needs an abortion, click here for information. You are pressured to have an ultrasound and forced to look at the image and/or listen to the heartbeat Ultrasound scans from a qualified technician are sometimes necessary to assess how many weeks pregnant you are. But ultrasound technicians should never pressure or force you to look at the scan images or listen to the fetal heartbeat (though in some countries or states it may be a legal requirement). You can always ask who will carry out the diagnostic scan and how qualified they are. If your scan is being performed by a sonographer, you can ask what training they've had and if they are on a register. You are told that medical abortions are reversible Medical abortions can consist of two types of medication: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone works by blocking progesterone - a hormone necessary to maintain a pregnancy - while misoprostol works by causing the uterus to contract and empty. Anti-abortion groups like Heartbeat International, which has ties to the US political right, promote something called the Abortion Pill Rescue Network where people who have taken the first dose of mifepristone (aka the abortion pill) are referred to medical professionals to ‘reverse’ the effects of the pill. An unethical and unproven treatment, it involves giving an individual progesterone after ingesting the first pill in the two-pill medication abortion treatment to stop the abortion. In reality, this method doesn’t work and it could potentially be dangerous. You are told about a made up condition called ‘post-abortion syndrome’  This is a false claim that links abortion to mental illness and has been widely discredited by medical experts. Abortion poses no mental health risks, and no greater risks than carrying an unintended pregnancy to term. You are given leaflets about surrogacy, adoption or homosexuality and encouraged to carry a pregnancy to term Staff at crisis pregnancy centers don’t always wait for pregnant people to come to them - sometimes they go directly into schools and communities to distribute flyers about adoption to early-stage pregnant people before they visit a clinic that offers abortion care. At the clinic, staff may share these leaflets under the guise of providing alternative ‘options’ to pregnant people, or falsely claiming that abortion can lead to homosexuality, when in reality they are used to undermine a person’s bodily autonomy. Nurses, doctors and counsellors use graphic language and images to describe abortion This is a tactic used to scare pregnant people out of having an abortion. You should never be shown graphic images of a fetus or bloody medical equipment as part of a counselling session with an abortion care provider. Before consenting to an abortion, a nurse or counsellor should explain what is involved in the abortion procedure, possible side effects to expect and how these can be managed.  

Texas judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, has suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill Mifepristone in a horror move for abortion access across the United States. The decision will result in a nationwide ban on Mifepristone in seven days, with the FDA given one week to appeal the ruling. While the ban also affected access in states that have secured abortion post-Roe v Wade, a conflicting ruling from Judge Thomas O. Rice from a federal court in Washington state ordered the FDA to maintain access to Mifepristone in 17 democratic states and Colombia District – effectively putting access to the pill into limbo. Mifepristone, which has been FDA-approved for more than 22 years and has a safety record of over 99%[i], is taken alongside the drug Misoprostol during medical abortion procedures. Since then, it has been used by over 5 million[ii] Americans and was used in more than half of abortions nationwide last year. While Misoprostol can be used alone in medical abortion, people should have access to the full spectrum of abortion care options. Mifepristone is also used in the medical management of miscarriage and second and third-trimester pregnancies when the fetus has died before birth. While the ruling does not prohibit the FDA from making a new authorization for Mifepristone, this will likely take many months. Severe disruption to abortion care services, healthcare services and supply chain issues are expected as healthcare providers and pharmacies grapple with legality, stock, retraining and reeducation. Beth Schlachter, Director of Global Advocacy for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "For 22 years, Mifepristone has been safely used in medical abortion care across the U.S., allowing healthcare providers to deliver safe, practical and discreet care to people who have chosen to end their pregnancies, regardless of their economic status or ability to travel. "In one fell swoop, anti-abortion extremists have once again stripped people of their rights in another blow to liberty. This horror ruling based on junk science, wilful distortion of fact and extreme political agendas will profoundly affect the lives of millions of people already struggling to access the care they need, especially in states where abortion is already banned." Anti-abortion extremists deliberately filed the case against the approval of Mifepristone in the Amarillo division of the Northern District of Texas — a single-judge division where cases are automatically assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative judge appointed by former President Trump. The group claim that: "the statutory basis on which the FDA's approval of Mifepristone was issued 22 years ago is invalid" - an assertion both the Government Accountability Office and FDA have previously investigated and put to rest "an 1873 vice law that made it illegal to send "obscene, lewd or lascivious" material through the mail applies to abortion pills" - federal courts have consistently ruled it doesn't apply to lawful abortions "the drug's original approval wasn't supported by evidence of safety and efficacy" — a claim that medical and policy experts have continuously discredited Beth Schlachter, added: "The implementation of a national ban on Mifepristone via a state court debunks one of the principal anti-abortion arguments in the Roe v Wade case  - that the ruling curtailed state freedom and that abortion rights should be defined on a state-by-state basis. "This weaponization of federal courts by anti-abortion extremists proves just how dangerous the overturning of Roe v Wade is for everyday Americans, whose access to healthcare now lies in the hands of fanatical religious extremists determined to disrupt, harass and deceive until they end access to abortion care and long-held sexual and reproductive rights for good." The International Planned Parenthood Federation's local partner, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, will continue to provide abortion care where safe and legal to do so. Those seeking medical abortion can also access care via AidAccess and WomenonWeb. At least two abortion networks, Trust Women and Whole Womans Health, have also announced that they will not immediately stop prescribing Mifepristone and will await a directive from the FDA – a move known as a conscientious provision which refers to providers who continue to provide care despite the legal parameters.   Alongside its partner and other reproductive health organizations, IPPF will keep fighting for access to abortion care, freedom from stigma and freedom from criminalization until everyone, everywhere, is free to make choices about their sexuality and well-being. [i] https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/42/8a/428ab2ad-3798-4e3d-8a9f-213203f0af65/191011-the-facts-on-mifepristone-d01.pdf [ii] Ibid For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey at [email protected] or [email protected]   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.  For 70 years, IPPF, through its 118 Member Associations and seven partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people have the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.  

Profamilia – an IPPF Member Association and the leading sexual and reproductive rights organization in Colombia – is celebrating the first anniversary of the decriminalization of abortion across the country. The move - Ruling C-055 - which allows abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation under any circumstance is saving lives across Colombia, and means those who have an abortion no longer face prosecution or criminalization. A historic step for the rights of women and pregnant people both in the country and across Latin America. Over the last year, Profamilia via its nationwide network of more than 50 clinics has helped guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights, focusing on providing safe abortion care services in person as well as the provision of telemedicine for rural women.   For a country which sees 132,000 cases annually of complications from unsafe abortions and 70 women lose their lives each year – the shift in focus to abortion as a public health issue means healthcare providers can now focus on providing life-saving care and ending unsafe abortion. Alongside the ruling, the Ministry of Health, has also regulated abortion services throughout Colombia via Resolution 051, reiterating that abortion is an essential and urgent health service, which women, including migrant women, and pregnant people (transgender men, trans masculinities, non-binary people, among others) must be able to access without restriction and for free. Further rulings also embeds the provision of sexual and reproductive health information into Colombian health services. Marta Royo, the Executive Director of ProFamilia, said: "Profamilia's commitment will always be to provide comprehensive, humanized and safe services that allow free and informed decision making, and we reiterate this today” "After one year it is possible to see the progress the country has made in terms of reproductive autonomy and rights for women and pregnant people. However, we must move from text to action, and ensure that decriminalization means healthcare. Profamilia's commitment will always be to provide comprehensive, humanized and safe services that allow free and informed decision making." Eugenia López Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF for the Americas and The Caribbean.